California Attorney General Seeks Public Comment On New Legislation To Protect Minors From Addictive Algorithms In Social Media Websites

SB 976—also known as the "Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act" (the "Act")—was adopted to protect minors from addictive social media platforms. The Act's provisions related to addictive feeds and default privacy settings for minorstook effect on February 1, 2025. The law also requires the California AG to adopt implementing regulations by January 1, 2027. The AG launched this process on November 5, 2025.

The Act builds on existing legal protections for children using online services by making it unlawful for "the operator of an addictive internet-based service" to provide an "addictive feed" to a minor without verifiable parental consent. An "addictive feed" is defined as a site that uses information from or about a user in order to generate that user's display—in other words, a personalized algorithm. The Act applies where the addictive feed is a "significant part" of their service. Internet-based services that exist exclusively for commercial transactions, consumer reviews, and cloud storage are exempt.

Under the Act, operators of addictive feeds cannot send notifications to minors during school hours or after midnight without parental consent. Operators must also create mechanisms for additional parental controls, such as time limits, filters, and privacy settings. Currently the Act makes it illegal for an operator to send an addictive feed to a user the operator knows (e.g., has "actual knowledge") is a minor. Beginning in 2027, however, it will be illegal for operators to provide an addictive feed to a user unless they have "reasonably determined" the user is not a minor pursuant to the AG's regulations.

The AG is proposing regulations to implement the Act, including provisions regarding "age assurance and parental consent," to be adopted by January 1, 2027. The proposed regulation can also provide exceptions but only "if those exceptions further the purpose of protecting minors." The AG has not yet released a draft rule.